The Power of Arnica

I’m sold on the healing powers of Arnica. I’ve taken it before, both topically and orally, but never together. Yesterday I mysteriously hurt my elbow. Not quite sure exactly what I did, but it was sore and clicking strangely all morning. Might not have been the smartest idea to bust out 40 pushups and lift weights at lunchtime, but I did. And, of course, the pain got much worse. By the evening it was really sore and this morning I had trouble pushing myself out of bed, brushing my hair, and doing anything that required me to move my arm. It was even worse when I needed to both move my arm and flex my muscles. Gripping something in my hand shot pain straight to my elbow. This was not good.

So this morning I went looking for some muscle rub, even though I wasn’t sure it was a muscle problem. Seemed like it could also be a joint problem. When I looked into my drawer I noticed my tube of neglected Arnica. I can’t remember the last time I used it. Now seemed to be the perfect time to give it a try because Arnica is really for pain relief, not just soothing sore muscles. So I slathered it all over my elbow. Then the thought occurred to me that I also had little Arnica tablets that are taken internally. Well, that couldn’t hurt so I took those too and I’ll be darned. By noon the pain was almost completely gone. I won’t forget about my new best friend the next time I’m experiencing any sort of joint or muscle pain. This stuff really works!

Free iPod Workout Downloads

I just stumbled across a web site that offers iPod workout downloads. Some of them cost, but there are a few downloads available for free, one of them a yoga bundle. I downloaded the Glut Camp Workout this afternoon and I was quite pleased with it. I didn't actually put it on my iPod, but instead just watched it on my computer. It was very straightforward. They showed a model doing one of the exercises, explained what to do, and then told you to pause and do a set of reps at your own pace. Then you simply hit play again, watch the next exercise, and repeat the pause/play options until you get through the entire workout. This is such a great concept and so easy to take your workouts on the road. I think I will investigate more of these workouts in the future, but in the meantime, why not download the free ones and give them a try? Here's the link.

Yoga and Allergies - Not a Good Mix

Why does yoga make my allergies worse? Living in New England during this time of year is a big challenge. The pollen is out in full force and the rainy, low pressure days do very bad things to my sinuses. I started off this dreary day thankful that my usual sinus headache wasn't rearing its ugly head yet. But, just like I suspected, my afternoon yoga caused my sinus headache to appear. I think it has something to do with bending over. My head doesn't seem to like being upside down as that seems to make the pressure in my sinuses build. This really stinks. I find myself avoiding yoga for fear of either getting a headache or making the headache that I already have even worse. I wish I knew how to combat this issue. And on that note, I'm going to find some Sudafed . . .

Free June Desktop Calendar

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